Column #116 Contents of this weekly column are (mostly) based on
the sefer: EIM LAMIKRA HASHALEIM by R' Nissan Sharoni, Ashdod, a guide to
correct pronunciation of Hebrew, specifically in davening and Torah reading.
Moshe keeps it and Kalev swallows. Doesn't rally mean anything, but the Hebrew
phrase is a mnemonic device, as follows. MOSHE MOTZI V'KALEV MACHNIS
Here's what it means. G-d's "main" Name, whether spelled YUD-KEI-VAV-KEI or
ALEF-DALET-NUN-YUD is pronounced ADONOI, the first letter being ALEF with a
CHATAF-PATACH under it. ELOKIM or any of its variations (ELOKEINU, ELOKE- CHA,
etc.) begin with ALEF with a CHATAF-SEGOL under it. When one of these names has
a prefix of a BET, HEI, KAF, LAMED, MEM, or SHIN, sometimes the sound of the
ALEF drops and sometimes it doesn't. Specifically, with MEM, SHIN, or HEI, the
ALEF's vowel remains. That's the meaning of MOSHE MOTZI, with the letters of the
name MOSHE, the sound of the ALEF emerges.
With VAV, KAF, LAMED, or BET (letters of V'KALEV), the ALEF's vowel is swallowed
- i.e. dropped.
Check out these examples:
SHE-ADO...ASHERI H'AM SH'HASHEM ELOKAV
MEI-ADO... M'HASHEM YATZA HA'DAVAR
but, BA-DO (not B'ADO)...VA'YA'MINU BA'HASHEM
and, LA-DO... MINCHA L'HASHEM
The same rule applies to "master" when not
referring to HaShem. Sarah said: i¥e²z h°b«st³u,
that's VADONI, not VA-ADONI.
HA-ELOKIM, but LEI-LOKIM.
There are 7 exceptions in Tanach to this rule.
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